True Bias Nikko Dress review

 I made the tops earlier in the year, and it's possible the entire matter was inspired by a certain sunflower print fabric from Emma One Sock.  I knew I wanted to make a long dress that was a single, unbroken cut of fabric.  In the middle of winter I wasn't keen to actually make dresses but I had some fun with the tops (here.) 

So, summer arrived.  And I needed something quick for a party.  I whipped up version 1 of the Nikko.  I went ahead with size 4 though I'd waffled when I made the tops about whether a 6 would be better.  It took a very short bit of time to make, even with figuring out how to finish the slit, and it's possible I made the entire dress on my sewing machine aside from the neck, which must be overlocked due to how tight it is. 

Everyone at the party was suitably impressed. I thought it was a wee bit tight across the bum so I tried to expand that part for the magical sunflower version, but naturally all my expansion was probably too high up so there's even more pooling in my back and the bum is, if anything, even tighter. Arg.  Hopefully the beautiful print is enough distraction. 

 

 I realised pretty quickly that I couldn't pattern match at the sides because the colours shift down the length of fabric, and also the front and back are somehow different lengths, so I had to just accept the imperfection.

I love this dress, but I think the allover pattern was a bit more flattering.  I don't have any burning need to make heaps of these but they are a great summer addition for just looking that touch more put together. 

Elizabeth Suzann Harper Tunic

 I wasn't really going to make this but I was on an ES binge after I got the patterns.  People made versions on Instagram. Those versions were so very lovely.  I changed my mind! It was right after making my first Georgia top and I thought I should go with the larger size (OS instead of OSM) so that's what I did. This is a piece of beautiful linen from The Fabric Store. Top? Dress? hm....

The pattern is easy to put together, however the pocket can only go one way....so if you fold the top down wrong you end up with a left side pocket instead of a right side pocket, oh well.  I mucked up the pocket folding too so it ends up gaping a little bit, but it's deep enough that it will still hold objects. 

To my surprise, I love this top!  But I'm not entirely sure how to style it yet.  It's a work in progress, and we seem to be transitioning from winter to summer with the merest of spring-like pauses, so hopefully I will get to start experimenting soon.  

In the meantime, here it is with my most loved (by me, and detested by others) winter item of 2020: my sparkly moonboots. 

Sew Liberated Hinterland dress, toile

 The flexibility of this dress grew on me slowly. I tend to be wary of things that have sleeves and are made of wovens.  I made the size 2 after a thorough internet search. I saw that the ease was going to be enough...probably. But maybe not.  However my size 4 metamorphic really is big, and that also pushed me to size down.

I didn't have much enthusiasm as I made this, it seemed quite blah and I also assumed it was going to not fit well, or not fit AT ALL. I totally expected my first attempt to be a bad muslin. The fabric is nice - it's a double gauze that I think I got from Miss Matabi on her etsy store.

I didn't do a button placket, but I added about 2 cm to the centre front to make up for it.

Lo and behold, this dress fits me perfectly. The issues others had with shoulders seem to create a perfectly fitting sleeve for me.  Adding about 2 cm was a good amount, I can get it over my head and the front isn't tight.

 

Now that I've made this and confirmed the fit I can also confirm that without the front placket it's pretty boring.  I have plans for summer and am just waiting on having a space to sew again! 

Anna Allen Philippa pants in corduroy

These have been on my radar for ages and I finally had a vision that was this very outfit:

I was thinking of it as my old man winter outfit but I think I misjudged and it's way too stylish for that title. 

The corduroy is from Miss Maude (here), I am not sure why I thought this fabric wouldn't be good for these pants months ago, when I had it in the beautiful caramel colour and made a jacket for a friend instead...so I had to get more. 

I used my intel from the Persephone pants and cut a size 4. I inspected the rise and with some horror that it's even higher than the Persephones, I took an inch out all the way around, a few inches from the top.  Doing that made the Persephone pants fit me perfectly.  I didn't change the crotch curve at all.  And similarly - the fit through the crotch is great here.

I didn't do any special ironing for corduroy.  Sometimes I ironed it on a double layer but more often I just flattened down the fur. 

I had a vague idea involving front patch pockets but I just stuck them on the back like the pattern said.  Maybe in a future version I'll go crazy. (Also I think make the back pockets smaller.)  I did, however, do the zip fly.  And I have high expectations because the button fly is *so good* for the Persephones - I didn't really like the fly instructions. They made me grumpy.  The results are fine.  I had to use pliers to remove a lot of zipper teeth and so I have tiny zipper teeth all over the place now. 

The other thing that made me grumpy was interfacing the waistband.  It ends up that you need a HUGE amount of easing that waistband in.  I know sometimes she instructs you to only interface up to the SA and that might have helped - I ended up cutting my interfacing and there were huge gaps in it from areas that had to stretch to ease in.  My back waistband thus has a bit of a gathered look up super close from the dramas that ensued to get it in place.  There was drama.  I had tried on the pants at that point and the drama was only worth it because I realised they were a perfect fit. 

Perfect fit!  They don't look very flattering in the pictures but the amount of ease through the thighs makes them really comfortable. 

My sweater is the Shifty Sweater by Andrea Mowry, made in Spincycle Yarns.  It took me about 4 months to make and is the first sweater I'm proud of like it's my first child.  More info on ravelry, where I am soelimano.

Nikko top by True Bias

I have known about the True Bias Nikko top/dress without wanting to make it for a long time.  Winter did it to me, I wanted a high neck!!! 

This simple appearing pattern actually has a different draft for the top and the dress.  It ends up being a HUGE pattern and I'm really glad for A0.  People comment that the dress is looser in comparison with the top.

I started out making size 2 in the sleeveless top.  That matches my measurements except at the hip where it's narrower than I am.  I noted from a few blogs that it is pretty fitted but I was curious just how fitted.  The answer: very.  I won't make size 2 again, but this will be a fine baselayer.  I didn't really like the way the armholes were done so I just put on normal bindings and they were good.  However, I was hunting for a better solution. 

Moved onto the sleeveless size 4.  I liked normal bindings ok but I didn't feel like they were great, but to avoid the issue altogether I made this in two layers of what I thought was see through merino.  The two layers make it a formidable weight though and when I wore it on the south island despite freezing temps I was really warm.  Unfortunately, two layers ends up gaping at the front armscye after a few hours of wear.  It needs something on the armhole to really help maintain shape.  I gave up thinking about this and moved on to....

...a sleeved size 4. This fabric is greenish on one side and grey green rib on the other.  I liked the green but ended up with grey out because I thought it almost created a holographic effect I couldn't resist.  This rib, however, is not stretchy as real rib knits are.  This is a super fitted top!  I finally, after literally 5 months of procrastination, plugged in the brand new coverstitch machine and did the hems on this properly.  Sort of properly.  Learning curve in action.

The Nikko instructions do note you should use a *very* stretchy knit.  My size 2, oatmeal coloured fabric is the stretchiest I used and the fit is almost the same as the size 4 in merino.  I think overall the 4 fits better.  

I lost momentum at this point and didn't make the dress.  I think that as long as it really does have more ease, and I'm using very stretchy knits, the size 4 dress is ok but I would debate cutting the back a size 6 from the waist to hips.  Since it's very cold outside this dress has no appeal at all and I will save the plans for spring.  I have some fabric I'm keen to use so I do think I'll come back to it - also after making another relatively narrow skirted dress I am teasing with the idea.  The weird logic of life means I am making all these dresses in the middle of winter and I guess by midsummer I will know if I like them.